Merkel - No German arms exports to Saudi until killing cleared up

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Ortenberg, Germany, October 22, 2018. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

 

ORTENBERG, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday called the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul a "monstrosity" and vowed to halt all German arms exports to Riyadh until the case is cleared up.

 

Merkel, in her harshest comments to date, decried what she called "the monstrosity there in the Saudi consulate in Turkey" during a campaign rally in the town of Ortenberg before a regional election in the state of Hesse on Sunday.

 

"It must be cleared up. As long as it's not cleared up, there will be no arms exports to Saudi Arabia. I assure you of that very decidedly," Merkel said.

 

Riyadh has given multiple and conflicting accounts on what led to Khashoggi's death on Oct. 2. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir called the killing a "huge and grave mistake" but sought to shield Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince.

 

Merkel first called for a stop to arms exports on Sunday, raising questions about whether that would also affect deliveries that had previously been approved. Her spokesman told reporters earlier on Monday the question was being reviewed.

 

Norbert Roettgen, a member of Merkel's conservatives and head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, said it was clear that all deliveries of weapons to Saudi Arabia should be halted, even those approved before Khashoggi's death.

 

"Even those deals that were already approved cannot happen now, as long as the case has not been resolved, and as long as there have been no substantial consequences in Riyadh," Roettgen told broadcaster ZDF. "We would completely lose our credibility."

 

Economy Minister Peter Altmaier earlier had called on other European Union member states to follow its example in stopping arms exports to Saudi Arabia to increase pressure on Riyadh over the Khashoggi case.

 

Riyadh's explanations so far had not been satisfactory, Altmaier told broadcaster ZDF, adding, "The government is in agreement that we will not approve further arms exports for the moment because we want to know what happened."

 

So far this year Berlin had approved weapons exports worth more than 400 million euros ($462 million) to Saudi Arabia, making it the second-biggest recipient of German arms after Algeria.

 

Asked whether Germany would roll back previously agreed arms deals with Saudi, he said a decision would be made very soon. The EU needed a unified position to avoid some countries filling the gap, he added.

 

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke in Ortenberg and Andrea Shalal and Maria Sheahan in Berlin)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-23

That's what i call a lady with balls.....now let's see if Trump will follow..

Well done Angela! Taking the moral high ground without hesitation.

42 minutes ago, Thian said:

That's what i call a lady with balls.....now let's see if Trump will follow..

How can he - he has none 

48 minutes ago, Thian said:

That's what i call a lady with balls.....now let's see if Trump will follow..

I think the Germans may actually do this, not only blah blah and more blah 

6 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

How can he - he has none 

you took the words right out of my mouth.
pay some overdue cash, approve a nice Red Sea coastal golf resort and all's well.

 

Yes, Merkel's decisive response is streets ahead those of the UK and Trumpland.  And therefore very welcome.

 

On the other hand, the Germans stand to lose not even a half billion....

4 hours ago, webfact said:

It must be cleared up. As long as it's not cleared up, there will be no arms exports to Saudi Arabia. I assure you of that very decidedly," Merkel said.

 

Hey trumpy, this is how a real leader acts...

Some accurate figures relating to Merkel's statement would go a ways to make it clearer if it's of much substance. For example - whether the decision will include agreed upon sales, and how much value actually represented by to-be-suspended sales. Cancelling a few last shipments of a deal is not the same as calling it off.

 

As for morals, well now... Had it not been for political constraints (restrictions on arms sales to Saudi Arabia included in coalition agreement), it would have been a non-issue. Even under said agreement, existing deals and sales were not cancelled, the war in Yemen notwithstanding. Hypocrisy and realpolitik are rather more apt terms in this context.

Well, they can't continue the proxy genocide in Yeman if they cut off arms sales.  More likely that MbS will be shown the door. 

5 hours ago, Thian said:

That's what i call a lady with balls.....now let's see if Trump will follow..

Very much doubt it 

Now all we need is for the UK, US, and France to follow her lead. 

5 hours ago, Thian said:

That's what i call a lady with balls.....now let's see if Trump will follow..

Well, Trump has bone spurs. Do they count?

9 hours ago, connda said:

More likely that MbS will be shown the door. 

I'll take that back - Erdogen blinked.

Well done Angela...very good news for the Chinese..... (who will sell even more weaponry with the USA to Saudi A, while the EU is playing stupid with lessons of morality,  that any case won't make a difference)....

 

The world should rather boycott all oil purchase from Saudia and resume oil purchases from Iran instead......Some global powers were finger pointing at Iran and sleeping with Saudia..but it turned out that Saudia was a unfaithful wife, while Iran was a faithful mia noi !!!!

 

 

I do hope that the Saudis are pressured enough that before they slay their

slayers, the truth of who really ordered the killings is known. Maybe the King will

show his power to his son and make the truth be known.

Geezer

The finger clearly points at the Crown Prince as ordering this hit. I do not believe that 3 of his own bodyguards could leave their duties to fly off without his knowledge and agreement. More likely they were ordered to go. He obviously thought that being inside SA Embassy, things would not be noticed- how wrong they/he was. Now somebody needs to grow a pair and check this psycho before he gets worse

12 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Well done Angela...very good news for the Chinese..... (who will sell even more weaponry with the USA to Saudi A, while the EU is playing stupid with lessons of morality,  that any case won't make a difference)....

 

The world should rather boycott all oil purchase from Saudia and resume oil purchases from Iran instead......Some global powers were finger pointing at Iran and sleeping with Saudia..but it turned out that Saudia was a unfaithful wife, while Iran was a faithful mia noi !!!!

 

 

 

Saudi Arabia "bad", doesn't make Iran "good". And vice versa.